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Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva.

In Bhagavad Gita verse 5.22, Lord Krishna says

ye hi samsparsha jaa bhogaa / duhkha yonaya eva te
aady antavantah kaunteya / na teshu ramate budhah

An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.

The word "samsparsha" meaning "in contact with", in the above verse is worth meditating. If our senses are in contact with temporary material pleasures, we are bound to be miserable whereas when we use the senses for the eternal Supreme Lord, we get eternal bliss. So knowing the temporary nature of these material pleasures, we should intelligently save ourselves from such miseries. By associating with good people, we become good. By associated with demoniac people, we also start behaving like demons. So, we should associate with sadhus who are doing unalloyed service to Supreme Lord and by that association and service unto

them, we would be able to get rid of taste for temporary material pleasures.

In ancient days, there used to be demons who used to harm people with weapons. But nowadays we have weaponless electronic demon called TV which is capable of ruining our senses, family values and spiritual values without any use of weapon. It is very important that we never get in contact with this source of misery. It is not only harmful to our eyes, but TV being a monologue, children get habituated to just silently watching it. Few days ago one devotee was telling how children who are watching TV for long hours, don't know how to interact with people (since it is a 'one way' communication) and so turn out to be failure in their relationships when they become adults. On top of it, they pick up so many bad manners by watching it. What to speak of children, even adults get so addicted that they fail to give the due attention to the sick and old people at home, being engrossed in watching TV.

Lord says in Bhagavad Gita verse 3.21:

yad yad aacarati shreshthas / tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramaanam kurute   /  lokas tad anuvartate

Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
 
Unfortunately politicians who rule the country these days, who are supposed to set a proper example to the citizens, are so greedy and polluted that they misguide the already misdirected population. When the need for hour is to promote more farming and cow-protection, foolish politicians, just to sing their own glories through these TVs, are donating TVs to their citizens. Misgudied by the politicians, people are eager to increase the count of these demons at home. I am reminded of one of the Bhagavatam classes in which our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj was lovingly asking the children to recite shlokas. He was appreciating them and correcting those who made mistakes. Later he inquired them whether they were having TV or not. Some said they had 1 TV, some said 2 and one child said that she didn't have TV. Maharaj lovingly told the children, "See, she is having nice memory and reciting shlokas nicely. Her face is glowing because there is no TV in her house. The more the TVs the lesser the glow in your face."

As Maharaj says only spiritual vibrations enliven us and will always protect us at all times. Knowing this truth, we should make a sincere endeavour not to be in contact with material vibrations which are ultimately going to destroy us. It may be that some of the family members will not be able give up the demon. But by our sincere sadhana and prayers to Guru and Krishna, everything will fall in place.